The National AFL-CIO’s Bus Tour for Freedom, Fairness and Security is making its way across the country and will stop in Maine next week as part of the run-up to Labor Day. These events are an opportunity to hear directly from workers about the challenges they face and the importance of collective action. Both events are free and open to all who support labor and workers. Registration is requested.

Nine members of IBEW Local 1837, representing Central Maine Power (CMP), Versant, Unitil, New Hampshire Electric Co-op, and Eversource, spent two days sharpening their skills and building solidarity at the Maine AFL-CIO Labor Summer Institute in Orono on August 13–14, 2025. They were joined by longtime IBEW 1837 members, State Representative Matt Beck of South Portland, and Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney. 

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1837 held an informational picket outside Eversource headquarters on Wednesday, August 13. The demonstration drew attention to stalled negotiations for a first contract covering System Operators in the Electrical System Control Center and the System Operations Center.

The IBEW is sounding the alarm on President Trump’s recently signed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” warning that it poses a serious threat to working families across the country. In a letter to local unions, International President Kenneth W. Cooper called the legislation “irresponsible,” citing tax cuts for the wealthy, health care rollbacks, and the elimination of clean energy job incentives that have fueled significant IBEW job growth in recent years. Despite the bill’s name, Cooper made clear: “This new law will directly impact IBEW members and their families.”

A former member of IBEW 1837 was repeatedly denied job opportunities because of a mistake in the federal Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. Although he had resolved a past violation, the employer responsible for updating the record never submitted the correction. As a result, the Clearinghouse continued to show an unresolved infraction. Every time a prospective employer ran a background check, it appeared the issue was still active—and he wasn’t hired. Once the record was corrected, he was finally able to return to work.